12 Beers of Christmas 2013 – Day 6 – 6 Geese-a-Laying from The Bruery

I’m not sure when it became du jour for breweries to plan annual releases measured in years but they’re certainly fun. The next beer I’m reviewing is the halfway milestone for this brewery’s holiday beer series. I’ve been buying 2 bottles of each release so that I can enjoy them when the series is finished but that’s still quite a ways away.

6 Geese-a-Laying pours out a cloudy, reddish brown with a beige/tan colored head. The aroma has a noticeable alcohol character, almost boozy. The flavor of the beer is very fruity, slightly figgy, with a light unripe grape tartness. The malt flavor has some caramel-like character, light toast, and very slight roast. The hop bitterness is low/medium-low. The finish has a boozy alcohol quality that is reminiscent of the Noel beers I’ve been tasting lately.

6 Geese–a-Laying in a glass.

The label of 6-Geese-a-Laying says this is a Belgian style dark ale brewed with cape Gooseberries. Having never tried Gooseberries before, I can’t say if this beer is ripe with them or not. The label also says that this beer was meant to be aged and consumed with the last beer in the series, 12 Drummers Drumming. I agree. At 11.5% ABV, this beer has quite the alcoholic punch. It’s good in little sips here and there but I find it difficult to consume an entire bottle solo. Definitely a beer to share. I personally think the beer is on the young side and could use some months, if not years, to mellow out.

The back label of 6 Geese-a-Laying.

There’s another series from another brewery that also follows the “12 Days of Christmas” format. I haven’t seen any of those bottles in the shelves lately and I’m a little bummed by it. I thought that was an interesting series that had a greater variety of beers. Maybe I’ll drive around next week and see if I can’t find it.

I do enjoy the inclusion of “12 Day of Christmas” themed ingredients The Bruery uses to craft these beers though. It shows creativity and a willingness to step outside of the brewer’s pantry that you don’t see too often.